Speakers at an April 4 webinar co-hosted by Amnesty International, the CCPA and MiningWatch say a free trade agreement would be disastrous for Indigenous rights and the planet.

Jeremy Appel, The Orchard

In December 2023, the Canadian government announced its intention to pursue a free trade agreement (FTA) with Ecuador, which would allow Canadian mining companies heightened access to the Latin American nation’s abundant gold, silver and copper reserves.

But at what cost?

An April 4 webinar co-hosted by Amnesty International Canada, the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives and MiningWatch Canada featured Ecuadorian Indigenous rights advocates and a Canadian UN special rapporteur warning of the dangers of letting Canadian mining companies run wild in Ecuador, emphasizing free trade’s impact on Indigenous rights and the planet.

...

Read the full article here.